Pieces of Always
by mrnaylor930
Summary: A collection of unrelated one-shots inspired by Tumblr prompts!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

**Prompt:** **after the wedding, they talk about whether she is gonna change her name (bonus points if she does except when they're at the precint)**

Hours after they had said goodbye to their family who had opted to drive back to the city and give the newlyweds some privacy, after they spent who knows how long walking up and down their private strip of sand still dressed to the nines, after Castle had literally swept her off of her feet and carried her into the house and up the stairs, after they had fallen asleep tangled together in every possible way they woke in the middle of the night to growling stomachs.

"So…you gonna feed your wife, Castle?"

"Well we can't have you starving, now can we?" Castle countered as he pulled on his boxers and tossed her his slightly wrinkled dress shirt.

They laughed all the way down the stairs. Racing and running and falling into each other all the way to the kitchen. As soon as they hit the threshold Rick spun around and hoisted Kate up onto the counter. She crossed her endless legs and picked up a small stem of grapes off the bowl on the counter as she admired her husband's backside as he rummaged through the fridge.

She still couldn't believe they were married. The three hours between the decision and the ceremony had been hectic to say the least. They ran all over the city to obtain a marriage license, wedding clothes, supplies, and secure a judge. It wasn't until they were well on their way to the Hamptons that it hit her, the vows.

The first time around they had elected to surprise each other with their vows. It had been a fun little game that had led to endless teasing. They had both agreed a while back that whenever they got married again they would not use the same vows. It felt wrong. So much had changed and they were entirely different people.

So after a minor break down, what bride wasn't allowed a small freak out on her wedding day, and a pit stop which consisted of Rick pulling her into his arms and holding her to him until she calmed. They had laughed it off and he had joked about never imagining her as a bridezilla. That comment had earned him a slap on the chest before she crawled away, back into her seat.

The remainder of the trip was used scribbling and scratching and laughing their vows into existence on a napkin. They had been better than she ever dreamed and she still shivered at the intensity she found in his eyes as he promised her forever.

Her thoughts were broken her husband's clumsy movements as he set out to make them something to eat. After watching him try to find his rhythm for a moment she spoke up.

"You need some help there?" She laughed as he pulled a face trying to open a can of Alfredo sauce. Normally they would make their own sauce or brown up some meat to add to canned sauce, but tonight they just wanted something quick and light to satisfy their hunger before curling back up together for their final few hours alone before they made their way back to the city.

"No, no. I am perfectly capable of making my wife a midnight snack. You just sit there and look pretty and let your husband do the work, Mrs. Castle." They were being so incredibly sappy. Taking every chance they could to use their new titles and every cheesy line in the book. Neither of them could bring themselves to care.

They fell silent as Kate continued munching on her grapes and Castle poured the pasta and sauce into separate pots to begin cooking. Kate was content to let Castle do the work for once, in truth she liked it when he took the lead sometimes. He enjoyed taking care of her and she enjoyed being taken care of, to a certain extent.

Next thing she knew a huge bowl full of pasta was placed in her lap as her husband came to stand in front of her, wine glass in hand.

"Shall we take this up to our room?" Kate only nodded before she allowed him to help her down from the counter and lead her back up to bed. They both climbed under the sheets in front of the roaring fire and squeezed together.

Rick produced two forks and they both dug into the giant bowl of pasta. For the first few minutes nothing could be heard, but the clink of the forks as their hunger took over. They couldn't remember the last time either of them had eaten. Apparently food was low on the priority list when there was a wedding to be had. After their initial hunger was sated their eating slowed and then stopped altogether.

The bowl was placed on the bedside table along with the wine glass that had long since been emptied. With the bowl out of the way they curled up together again, Kate's head rested on his chest in a way that mirrored the night almost exactly a month ago when they had first discussed their new wedding. After a few moments, Rick spoke, effectively popping their little bubble.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything, Castle. We're married now, you don't have to be afraid to ask me anything." She stroked his chest in a comforting manner to assure him further.

"Alright." He took a deep breath and began the conversation that he had been wanting to have for months. "Are you planning on changing your name?" Before she could even think about answering he was off again. "I'm not trying to pressure you or anything and honestly I'm not sure I care. As long as you are my wife, a name is just a name. And I know you would still be Beckett at the precinct no matter what. And I also know that you are a strong and independent women. I know that you have a hard job and being a Castle wouldn't help that. I know that you probably don't want to have to deal with the ramifications that come with…"

Kate rolled her eyes at her crazy husband. He was so adorably nervous to ask such a simple question that had no doubt been brewing for much longer than it should have. She smiled as she silenced his fragmented speech with a kiss.

He was stunned for just a moment before he eagerly reciprocated the action. They kissed slowly and deeply simply exploring the territory they had long since memorized. They were both reluctant for it to end, however their lungs told a different story.

Kate sat up and turned so that she could looking him straight in the eyes as she gave him her answer. In truth, she had thought about her name a lot. It had been a very popular topic for her head and her heart to discuss as of late.

"At first, I was determined to keep Beckett. It is who I have always been and I have worked so hard to make a name for myself. There was no question in my mind that I would always be a Beckett. But then everything changed.

"In those two months there was nothing I wanted more than to be your wife. I was so lost without you, Castle. I just wanted you back." Tears came to her eyes as she relived those two months, even if it was just for a few moments. It broke his heart and he smoothed a hand over her cheek to wipe away the tears that made their way down her cheeks. She paused for a moment and took a deep breath to steel her answers.

"When I lost you, I lost myself too. I was merely a shell without you." She had no idea how real that concept that was to him after the day he had. "When I was working you case I realized just how much I wanted to be a Castle. I didn't just want to be your wife I want to be a part of your family and I want everybody to know it. Your family took care of me Castle. Your mother held me as I cried and made sure that I ate something every once in a while. Alexis was there. Not in the big and obvious ways, but in the blanket thrown over me in the middle of the night when I fell asleep pouring over a case and the occasional hug when we both needed it most." She was really crying now as she thought back to the months she was drowning and they held her up. She was ashamed to say that she was too lost to even notice most of the things the Castle/Rodger's did for her.

"I want us all to be a family, and I know that a name doesn't do that, but it just feels right. I want our kids to be Castle's and I never want anyone to doubt that I am too. I am yours Mr. Castle!" His face cracked into a huge smile at her words.

"I was going to show this to you tomorrow, but seeing as how you just couldn't wait," she shot him a smile that melted him as she stretched over to the bedside table on her side and opened the drawer. She came back with a paper in her hand tied up in a thin red ribbon.

She placed in in his hands and scooted up next to him so that their shoulders were touching. He looked over and she gave him a nod of assurance. With none of his usual hurry, he pulled the end of the ribbon and allowed the paper to unroll. It was a copy of her name change form that she had mailed in that same day. There at the top of the form was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen: Katherine Beckett Castle.

"While I was out shopping for my wedding clothes I made a pit stop at the post office and sent in all of the paperwork!" She was smiling so wide, clearly proud of herself. He had never loved her more than in this moment.

"You really are, Mrs. Castle?" She nodded.

"Well, Mrs. Castle, how shall we celebrate this momentous occasion?"

"I think I might have an idea…"

**I hope you enjoyed this fill! I hope that I did it justice! **

**Please review or drop a prompt in my ask (khoughtonb on Tumblr)! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Prompt:****prompt: caskett cuddling by/at the beach after the wedding... they're on their on bubble, kinda forgetting about their family.**

It had been an hour since the wedding. A whole hour of complete bliss. The ceremony had been perfect, everything she didn't even know she wanted.

It had been slightly thrown together, though neither of them cared. A quick call to a judge in the Hamptons, a few more to alert their family, an impromptu shopping trip, and a new wedding license had been all they needed. They wrote their vows on a napkin in the car Rick had hired to drive them to the house.

The hour they spent apart before the ceremony was agonizingly long. They communicated through little notes passed between family members. They ranged from pathetically cheesy to passionate and insightful and they both loved every minute of it.

The ceremony itself was short and sweet. Neither one of them could stand the thought of going through all of the long, drawn out proceedings. All they wanted was to be married. And now they were.

Rick had put their song on repeat as they swayed against the marble sky. He wasn't sure how long they stayed fused together and he didn't care, but eventually they both realized his phone had stopped playing. It had no doubt gone dead due to overuse over the course of the day.

Kate just laughed, took his hand, and tugged him down toward the beach. He could do nothing but follow hopelessly as he always did. However, there was no purpose in her walk. They were not long and sure strides like normal. No, these were slow and clumsy as she allowed her shoulders to bump up against his.

She hadn't stopped smiling since the judge had pronounced them husband and wife. Her smile was even more intoxicating than usual as it consumed every part of her. He made a silent vow to make sure that she was like this more often. He had seen her like this only a few times before and it was one of his favorite versions of his Kate.

She halted once their feet hit the sand to rid herself of her clean, white heels. He held her steady and took her lead, toeing out of his shoes and rolling his tuxedo pants up just slightly.

As they began walking again he tucked her into his side and loved the fact that, without her shoes, she fit perfectly into him. His favorite part of the day was when she walked into the loft, threw her shoes off, shrugged out of her coat, and fell into him. She worked herself to the point of exhaustion most days and he was more than happy to take away all of her stresses.

Early on in their partnership he had assumed that Kate Beckett was buttoned up tight in every aspect of her life. He couldn't imagine her any other way, but the no nonsense detective who didn't answer to anyone was just one layer to the Beckett onion. As it turns out, that was just Beckett, Kate, however is a very different story.

Kate enjoys bubble baths and a glass of wine. While Beckett will deny it wholeheartedly, Kate enjoys being wined and dined. She likes dresses and fuzzy socks, she likes to sleep in his shirts and hates waking up alone. On her days off, which Beckett will only allow once in a blue moon, Kate just likes to cuddle up on the couch and make out like teenagers.

Beckett had captured his attention, but it was Kate that had stolen his heart.

They came to a stop a few feet from the water and stood in silence, simply taking in the sights and sounds of the ocean. It was dark and silent. All the wildlife having disappeared for the night leaving only the rhythmic crashing of the waves behind. He is sure that it his surroundings would paint a beautiful picture if something even more beautiful hadn't been standing right next to him.

Kate was staring out into the horizon; no doubt lost in her own thoughts and memories, if the smile on her face was any indication. He was glad that thinking about the past and recalling memories no longer came with so much pain. He hoped that if anything he had given her some good memories to look back on.

He couldn't help but stare at how gorgeous she was in that moment. Against the all black and dark blue scenery he couldn't help but think that she looked like an angel. Her soft smile and faraway look was enough to make his knees go weak. He still couldn't believe that she was his. For the rest of their lives he got to hold her and take care of her and show her how extraordinary she truly was. He almost laughed at the thought that she would most likely kill him if she knew what he was thinking.

"Still creepy, Castle."

"I'm sorry Mrs. Castle but you should probably get used to it if you are going to make a habit of looking this incredible." She ducked her head and bit her lip in her shy way of deflecting his flattery. He gently caught her chin in his hands and brought her eyes up to his. If they were going to spend the rest of their lives together there were some things he wanted to make sure she knew.

"Katherine Castle, you are beautiful," It was the simplest of statements, but the use of her new name coupled with the complete sincerity in his voice were enough to take her breath away. "never doubt that. Not only that but you are the most intelligent, extraordinary, salty, amazing, complex, sweet, gorgeous women that I have ever met. I will never understand what I did to deserve you, and honestly I don't think that I do deserve you.

"I know that all of this is cheesy and cliché but I mean every word. And I can see in your eyes that you don't believe a word I just said, but they are all true and I love you so incredibly much. I will spend the rest of my life trying to make you understand how wonderful you are." She had silent tears running down her face and he cupped her face and wiped them away, before pulling her close.

She allowed herself to melt in his arms while her cheeks dried and the words came tumbling out against his shirt.

"You are an amazing man Richard Castle and I love you so much. If I truly am all of those things you said it is only because of you. I was so broken when you found me Castle, more than I ever let anybody see. I never really showed you what was behind the steel walls that I put up until much later. I wasn't even a whole person just a shell.

"I meant what I said today, you taught me to look forward to tomorrow's adventures. You brought meaning back into my life. I had forgotten how to smile, how to have fun, and I was losing sight of why I became a cop in the first place. It's because of you that I am who I am today. You are the extraordinary one." Now it was his turn to be speechless. He just wrapped her up tight and let the silence be.

It was then he noticed that she was no longer crying, but she was still shaking slightly. It took him a moment to realize how cold it had become and how thin her wedding clothes really were.

"Come on, let's get you inside." He pulled away slightly, but she immediately cuddled back into the warmth of his arms.

"Do you mind if we just stay out here a while longer? It's just so peaceful. I feel like we are surrounded by the stars and I never want this to end."

"Anything for you, love." He was sure he had reached his cheesy line quota for the day, but he didn't even care. He took off his jacket and slipped it around her shoulders, before pulling her down on the sand with him.

They sat facing the water. She was sitting in the vee of his propped up legs with her head on his chest. With the heat and smell of his jacket and his arms firmly wrapped around her she felt warm and safe and happy.

Martha, Alexis, and Jim all stood up on the porch overlooking the beach. They could barely make out the newly-wed couple sitting together on the sand. The little family had retreated to the house to see off the judge and to give the couple a moment alone while they shared their first dance.

That had been two hours ago.

"Well we should probably be heading back to the city, huh, ladies?" Jim had been the one to drive the three of them to the Hamptons after they had received the excited call from Rick and Kate.

Martha agreed with a nod and they linked arms as they began to make their way back into the house.

"Wait… Shouldn't we say goodbye? I mean I don't want them to worry. And it's cold and it's late and…" She stopped herself from finishing her sentence, remembering her father's insistence that she be the child and not the adult.

"Oh, darling, no. Don't you see? They found their magic. We will leave them a note to find whenever the spell is broken and we will see them as soon as they arrive back home tomorrow." Alexis allowed herself to be pulled away by her grams and they joined Jim in the trek to the car.

'They found their magic' she thought to herself 'well it's about time!'

**Thank you for reading! This one sort of took on a life of it's own, but I really like how it turned out!**

**If you have a prompt that you would like to see ask me on tumblr (khoughtonb) or PM me!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Prompt 3! (Actual prompt posted at the end to avoid giving it all away!) **

She hadn't been home in at least three days. She just couldn't face Alexis anymore. Every day the questions were in her eyes and it was too familiar to herself at nineteen. They had become closer over these last few months, but sometimes she just needed to stay away. Alexis needed her to be okay. She needed her to be the shoulder to cry on and the one to stay strong.

She had not allowed herself to completely break down just for that reason, but every day it became harder and harder to keep it together. The FBI had packed up and gone home long ago. She was the only one still fighting, the only one still believing.

Alexis had believed, but Kate had watched that light die in her eyes every day that nothing turned up. It was a heartbreaking thing to watch. Luckily, Kate was there to keep her from hardening against the world and becoming the jaded person Kate had once been. She owed it to Castle, wherever he was, to keep her soft and safe.

Alexis had called her tens of times, but she couldn't manage to answer. She knew that sometimes Kate needed space and she always returned after a night or two and always texted her periodically. This was different. Her light had gone out.

She was exhausted, hadn't slept a full night since the "accident". She had no leads. None. There was no more evidence to process, no more tests to run, no more contacts to enlist, no more phone calls to make. She hadn't written anything on her "missing board" in four weeks.

It was hopeless. Looking back now she thinks that maybe she knew that all along. Looking at his face on the murder board was not going to bring him back to her and all of this work she had done was in vain. It was her mother all over again. No answers and no help.

So here she sat. In her desk chair, alone, with tears running down her face. It was almost midnight and she was the only one on the homicide floor, except for the odd night janitor or uniform getting coffee from the break room. Her phone rang for the umpteenth time.

Alexis, no doubt. She couldn't do it. Not now. All of her strength and hope and will to be better was gone. It was over, she was done. She picked up her phone and chucked it across the room.

It slammed into the wall and she could hear the glass shattering. She couldn't bring herself to care. She let the angry tears fall from her eyes. For the first time since she picked herself up from the dirt and mud beside his car on her wedding day, she allowed herself to be the grieving fiancé.

She wasn't the pseudo-mother, the driven detective, the crusader, or anyone else's shoulder to cry on. She was Kate. Kate, the women who had lost her whole life on what was to be the happiest day of her life.

She almost fell out of the chair with the force at which the grief hit her. He was gone. Really gone, not waiting to be rescued at some undisclosed location, gone. Sobs wracked her body and she couldn't catch her breath. What was the point anyway?

He had made her a better person. He had made her keep going and to look forward to the next day. He showed her how to thrive and live and love. He was truly her everything and she wasn't even sure that she ever told him. He was the best thing that had ever happened to her and she treasured their time together.

She cried until she was physically unable to cry anymore. Her last bit of energy fell with the tears and she was completely drained.

Tomorrow she would go home. Tomorrow she would apologize for her absence. Tomorrow she would help Alexis study for her Latin Mid-term. She would be everything Alexis needed and live her life as best she could without him. She would never move on, but she could live. That's what he would want for her and Alexis. She could do that for him.

Tomorrow was for him, but tonight was for her. She got out of her chair and threw herself into his. She curled up and laid her head on the back and wrapped her arms around her knees. Tears formed anew when she inhaled his scent from the fabric of the chair.

It wasn't a comfortable fit, there was wood sticking into her back and her neck was at an awkward angle, but she couldn't bring herself to care. She felt close to him, wrapped up in him, just as she would when she crawled into his lap for comfort after a particularly hard case. She always felt safest when she felt his arms around her and was engulfed in his scent.

She was so exhausted it was only a matter of minutes before the comforting surroundings lulled her to sleep.

KBKBKBKBKBKBKBKBKBKBKBKBKBKBKBKBKBKBKRCRCRCRCRCRCRCRCRCRCRCRCRCRCRCRCRCRCRCRC

He was home. Well, not home, but he was getting there. He was anxious and could not keep still in the elevator. Jaws had dropped when he made his way through the lobby and waited for the elevator. He didn't stop to explain or even lift his head. He was on a mission and he was not going to rest until it was completed.

He had never noticed just how this elevator was until this moment. It felt like ages for the levels to light up.

He was here against the advice of all of the FBI agents who had escorted him to the loft. They insisted they send an agent, or even Alexis, to retrieve Kate from wherever she was. Alexis had tried to call her a million times to no avail. It was eating her up and he hated to leave her, but this was something he had to do himself.

From the little Alexis had told him in the last few hours, he had caused a mess in her life and he wanted to be the one to fix it. He could have called the boys or the captain, but this wasn't news she could here from anyone else.

Finally, the elevator arrived on the Homicide floor. He didn't know what he had expected when he saw her. Kate hunched over her desk with a mound of paperwork, staring adorably in concentration at the murder board, asleep on the break room couch, not at all what he found.

There was his fiancé curled up asleep on his chair. Her hair was shorter and the stress was apparent on her face, but she was gorgeous. Her face was adorably mushed against the hard back of the chair. His heart broke at the sight of her, clearly distressed and exhausted.

He knew from copious amounts of experience that his chair was extremely uncomfortable. But he knew this meant more. This was HIS chair. She had resorted to using this old, ratty chair as comfort. He knew at this moment that putting themselves back together was not as simple as getting answers or kissing wounds. This was so much bigger in person than it had been in his mind.

When he reached her, he bent down onto her level and skated his hands up her legs. He was torn. He didn't know how she would react to him, yet he couldn't wait to have her in his arms again. He wanted nothing more than to pull her down into him and make all of her pain go away. Unfortunately, he knew it wasn't that simple. In any case it was time to get her off this ratty chair and into a proper bed, with or without him in it.

"Kate?" He reached up and brushed her hair back off of her face. No response.

"Kate, honey, wake up." He said a bit louder.

Her head lulled to the side and her eyes cracked open. She expected to see Ryan or Esopsito's, or even the Captain's, disapproving looks followed by an order to go home. Instead she was met with the clear blue eyes of a ghost.

She wrenched out of his grasp and stood forcefully, sending the chair down behind her.

"No!" She basically chocked. "No!"

"Kate, it's okay. It's me!"

"No, he's dead. He's dead and he's not coming back." He took a step forward and she took two quick ones back away.

"I'll always come home to you, Kate. Always."

"No. No, I'm still asleep. This isn't real." She shook her head and tears fell down her porcelain cheeks.

"Please don't cry, Kate. You can call Alexis, she'll tell you. There are two agents waiting downstairs to take us home. I'll explain everything there. Please, just don't cry!" He held out his hand to her, but she just kept shaking her head.

He couldn't just stand and watch her cry. He quickly stepped forward and caught her before she had a chance to react. He pulled her to his chest and pressed her head to his heart.

"I'm here, Kate. I'm here. We're going to be okay. Shhhh." He stroked her back and let her cry against him. He just kept whispering in her ear and stroking her back and hair until he felt her relax against him.

Her arms came around him and she took a deep breath. She took a step back and he immediately missed her being in his arms. She searched his eyes, now watery with his own tears. He tried to put all of her emotions on display for her. Hoping that she would see him, the real him.

"Rick?" She chocked on a sob.

Without hesitation she jumped into his arms. Her arms clasped around his neck as she tried to get as close to him as she possibly could. Her lips attached to him in a sweet and emotional kiss. Two separate actions with very different emotions behind them.

He wrapped her up and breathed her in. He was home.

**Prompt: (7x01) Castle is alive and finds Kate curled up in his seat at the 12th and sleeping he wakes her up to tell her his home. **

**Hope you enjoyed! I would love to hear what you think. **

**Also if you have any prompts my ask on Tumblr is always open khoughtonb .**


	4. Chapter 4

**(early season 5) Castle is so overwhelmed by the fact that he and Kate are now together that he's moved to tears. Bonus points if they're snuggled up together in bed when it happens.**

It happens on a lazy Sunday morning. Kate doesn't have to go to work until much later in the afternoon and they have the privilege of having the loft to themselves.

They were up early, as usual, but both were content to spend the morning in their PJ's sharing the newspaper and leisurely drinking their coffee. It was mornings like this when he realized just how lucky he was.

Kate had finished with the paper, all the interesting parts at least, and emptied her coffee mug before deciding that she could use a little more sleep. She thought she deserved it after he had kept her up the better part of last night after they had solved their latest case, which had left them sleep deprived for the last three days.

She set her mug down on the coffee table and moved closer to Rick. He was so engrossed in an article about some socialite or another and the trouble they had found themselves in this week that he didn't even notice her until she had plucked the paper from his hands.

She slid into his lap and replaced the paper in his hands as if nothing had happened. She curled herself up in his lap and laid her head on his chest as if it was an everyday occurrence. He dropped his paper, immediately forgetting about the article, and wrapped her up in his arms. She let out a sigh of happiness and contentment, snuggling deeper into his chest.

It was one of the layers to the Beckett union that he was delighted to peel and shocked to find the truth. Katherine Beckett was a cuddler. He never would have guessed it, even after the four years that he had been shadowing her.

Not just that she liked to cuddle, but that many times she would seek him out for comfort. After a long day at the precinct or a particularly hard case that he was not in on, she would come straight to him and fling herself in his arms.

Even after six months it still took his breath away every time. He was so incredibly lucky to have her in his arms. He had been hopelessly in love with her for years and had lost hope of them ever being together, and now here he sat with the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his arms. She trusted him to keep her safe and warm. She trusted him enough to completely let her guard down around him. He was truly the luckiest man in the whole world.

She was just about to slip back to sleep when she felt something wet on her cheek. She lifted a hand to wipe it away and another fell onto her arm.

A little confused, she opened her eyes and looked up at her partner questioningly.

He was sitting there, tears making their way down his cheeks, staring blankly off into space.

"Castle?" She called gently to catch his attention.

"Castle." Still no response. She maneuvered her way up and swung her legs over so that one was on either side of his thighs. She was getting worried.

"Rick?" She said taking his head in her hands and forcing him to look at her. His big, blue eyes met hers and she could see all of the emotions there, they had always had a special connection that way, but she had yet to determine why he had been reduced to tears on their lazy Sunday morning.

She thought back to the case and the previous day, even combing through their sparse conversation this morning, and found no reason for his tears.

"Rick, babe, what's wrong?" Her eyes searched his for some kind of answer. Her concern for him evident on her face.

Instead of answering, he bent down slightly and kissed her sweetly. He tried to pour all of his emotions into the kiss and tell her just how much he loved her and how grateful he was that she had chosen him.

She was surprised by his actions, but soon responded and kissed him even more deeply. They broke apart when air became a necessity and rested their foreheads together.

"Thank you." He whispered as she reached up and dried the last of his tears off of his cheeks with her thumbs.

"For what?"

"For being mine. For letting me love you and take care of you. Thank you for coming home to me every night, for letting me be a part of your life and not kicking me out of your work like you should have so long ago. Thank you for believing in me and making me want to be a better man. Thank you for saving my life and picking me up when I fell." He took a deep breath and continued. "Thank you for choosing me, Kate."

He was such a sap, but he was her sap.

"Always." She replied before wrapping her arms around him and settling into his chest, her head buried in his neck, as she shed a tear, too.

** I know it's sappy and fluffy, but I just couldn't resist! **

**I would love to know what you think and am always open to new prompts! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Prompt: ****Cops and Robbers with a pregnant Kate in the bank as a hostage. Rick and Kate are together and married . I would so love to read this ❤️❤️**

**I had a lot of fun with this one. I hope you enjoy it. **

It should be him. It should be him in that bank and not her. He would give anything to trade places with her. There was nothing to do but wait and let the cops do their jobs, and it was killing him.

They had argued before she left the house that morning. In fact it is the only thing they did before she left this morning. He had tried to make her see reason, tried to tell her that she needed to rest and relax, that was the whole point of maternity leave. Not so that she could run errands and do chores.

She had yelled at him. Told him that she had enough of his coddling. She was not a child and she was not invalid. She was perfectly capable of taking care of herself and running out to the bank and the grocery store. And just to prove it to him she said she would do it on her own. Then she stormed out.

They had been having these petty arguments ever since she began her third trimester. She was at seven months and she was actually doing great. She hadn't gained an excessive amount of weight, just a small baby bump. She struggled with morning sickness in the beginning, but that had faded after a short time. The worst part was her hormones.

They enhanced her need to be independent and sent her emotions all out of whack. That's where the arguing came in. He was shocked when she had agreed to take her maternity leave this early, it had only been a week and she was already restless. It was going to be a long two months.

Now, he would give anything to have her standing out here yelling at him. She could be standing out here beating him up for all he cared as long as she was out here.

She was on the phone with him when it happened. She had just come in to deposit her paycheck for the month. Something she insisted on doing in person even though it was so much easier to do it online, but that's a whole other story.

He finally got up the courage to call her about thirty minutes after she had stormed out. He knew better than to follow her, that would only make things worse, but a phone call wouldn't hurt. He needed to be more sensitive and understanding of what she was going through. Virtually all of her freedom having been taken away after almost six months of mandatory desk duty.

"What, Castle!" She snapped into the phone. "Did you call to make sure I put on enough layers before I left? Wouldn't want me to catch a cold."

"I'm sorry, Kate. What I said was insensitive and wrong. I know that you are perfectly capable of handling yourself, pregnant or not. I just worry about you all the time, even more so now and this is New York and freak things happen every day. People get hit by buses and cars, people go on shooting sprees, air conditioners fall from the sky, I just… I would die if anything happened to you, either of you." Her heart melted at the emotion in his voice. He really was a sweet man. Annoying and overprotective and at times smothering, but also sweet.

"I know, Castle. I'm sorry, too. I just feel so smothered lately and I can't do anything I used to and everything's changing so fast and I think this bank is about to get robbed."

"Haha. Very funny, Kate. Play with my already very real fears. That's cute, mature too!"

"No, Castle. I'm serious. I have to get out of here."

He heard a loud crash and some yells before the line went dead. He panicked. Immediately tried calling her back, still half expecting to hear her laughing on the other end of the line about how easy he is. But the panic in her voice was all too real and after she didn't pick up he knew this was bad.

He called 911 and then Ryan and Espo. All the while racing to grab his coat and keys, flying out the door as fast as he could.

So here he stood, pacing the barricade for hours while they tried to negotiate. They wouldn't let him help, wouldn't let him see what was happening, wouldn't even let him inside the tape. Not even Ryan or Esposito could help him get in.

His writer's imagination was running wild imagining Kate pressed up against a wall with a gun to her head. Or maybe tied to a chair, an old uncomfortable wooden one, with a knife to her throat. So many different scenarios played out while he waited.

His whole life was in that building. The love of his life and the mother of his child. The women he loved more than life itself, who had moved heaven and earth just to be with him. They had been married a little over a year and it was amazing, truly the time of his life.

And then seven months ago she had come to him with tears in her eyes and a pregnancy test in her hands. It was definitely a surprise, but a welcome one. They were planning to wait a year before trying for a baby, but fate had other plans. But they were both overjoyed. They just finished decorating the nursery and were working on filling it with clothes and toys and everything a baby might need.

Kate was glowing. Motherhood looked good on her, he could already tell. They did everything together. Appointments, shopping, painting, discussing names, and he couldn't wait to meet the little life they had created.

Knowing that they were in danger was slowly killing him. He was so helpless standing at the edge of the barricade praying that this was all some horrible dream and that he would wake up to her head on his chest and her breathing steady, one of her ice cold feet pressed into his calf.

Suddenly something caught his eye. A flashing light on the ceiling of the concrete awning. A pattern. Morse code. S-D-B-1-2-0. O-K. S-D-B-1-2-0. O-K. Over and over again.

Kate.

"Hey! Hey! You…yes you!" A young uniform, who he was pretty sure was commanded to stand at that very spot to ensure he didn't try anything stupid or get in the way, took a few slow steps toward him and halted.

"Look, there." He grabbed the kids shoulder and pointed him toward the building pointing at the still flashing light. "Morse code. It's from my wife, I know it is. You have to tell them. S-D-B-1-2-0. O-K."

The uniform, who he could see was named Johnson, did not seem to be too convinced. He raised an eyebrow and looked at Castle, as if to say "really?"

"Listen, Johnson! My wife, _Detective_ Kate Beckett, is in that building. She is sending us a message from in there and someone inside that fancy van is going to hear about it! I will not have us standing out here twiddling our thumbs wondering if this is significant or just a trick of light. Do you understand?"

Johnson looked genuinely scared at the puffed up and protective side of Castle. His eyes grew wide and he took a few steps back. After Castle had finished he nodded tightly and practically ran to the van.

He rolled his eyes and huffed at the rookie, who clearly thought he was too good for his little babysitting assignment.

It didn't take long before Captain Davis and three other officers, including Johnson, piled out of the van and stared at the message being flashed onto the awning. Captain Davis squinted. Another plain clothes officer wrote some notes on his pad and retreated back to the van followed by the others.

The captain whipped his head to Castle for a moment. Almost in disbelief and then looked back at the awning. The flashes stopped by now, but hopefully one of those clowns had received the right message. All he knew was that she was okay. Or that's what he chose to believe the last part of the message stood for.

Ryan and Esposito flew out of the van and into their car. He tried to get a word out. Follow them, ask them for any small piece of information, but all he got was a "not now, Castle" and a "we will get her back" before their car doors slammed and they were gone.

He had half a mind to be furious at them for leaving him out of the loop. But then he remembered it was their sister in that bank, their pregnant sister no less, and they were focused. They had put blinders on to everything else around them that was not helping to get Kate back, and that included him.

The minutes dragged on for what seemed like hours each after that. He was just about ready to tear through the fence and demand to be told something, anything, when there was movement. A paramedic rushed to the doors pulling a stretcher behind him.

_Oh, no. _He thought. _Someone's hurt. It could be her. She's pregnant and all that stress isn't god for her. Maybe they deliberately hurt her. Maybe they caught her sending a signal and decided to silence her. They are violent. She needs to be okay. She has to get out of there. _

A million thoughts buzzed through his head, but when the stretcher emerged he immediately knew it wasn't Kate lying there. Just a man. He appeared to be seizing or having some sort of attack.

He didn't know whether to be relieved that she was not the one being wheeled away or horrified that she was still in the building.

The paramedic handed something off to a uniform who opened the little slip of paper and ran to the van. Whatever was on that paper wasn't good, he was sure of it. There was something very wrong with this situation and he had no idea what it was. He knew nothing. Not even enough to build a crazy theory, much less a decent one.

He was losing his mind with worry. Alexis had called several times, panicking, but he told her to stay where she was. The last thing he needed was to have her there with him. He was about two seconds away from having a serious breakdown. Plus, if anything went wrong, or more wrong then it already had, he didn't want her here as a witness.

It all happened so fast. There was no time to think. One minute he was flicking through his phone looking his favorite pictures of her. A handful he had taken when she wasn't looking, more than a few of an adorable sleeping Kate, their wedding photos, and more recent ones that involved Alexis or painting the nursery. And then there was a bang.

The unmistakable bang of a bomb blowing up. Smoke billowed out into the street and his heart stopped. Everything moved in slow motion after that.

There was no more holding him back. Not even a twenty-five foot lead wall could keep him from her now. He raced through the barricade and ran on unsteady legs behind the police already storming the building.

He felt the unbearable pain that went along with the realization that there was a very real possibility that the bomb had been deliberately set for the hostages. She could be badly hurt, or worse. There was no turning back as he hit the doors. There was no unseeing what he was about to step into, but he had to know. He prepared himself for the worst and stepped inside.

He squinted into the dust and debris that littered the air.

"Kate!" He yelled. "Kate!"

He moved through the building following behind the officers who were fanning out in search of evidence and survivors. He heard one officer scoff "idiots" another "cowards". He didn't even have time to be curious all he cared about was Kate.

He didn't care about the story that made all of this make sense. He didn't want to know why they did this. He could care less about what made them idiots and cowards. All he wanted was to be able to hold his wife.

"Kate!" He called again.

"Castle! I'm here!" He jolted at the sound of her voice. The most beautiful sound he had ever heard. "Castle!"

He ran towards the sound along with about five other cops. The smoke cleared and he could see her. There were about ten other hostages all in the cage with her, but he never even saw them. He was in the room and over to her in seconds.

He bent down in front of her and broke the zip ties that bound her hands. Her arms were around him in seconds. He pulled her against him and sat down with her practically in his lap clinging to him for dear life.

"I thought I would never see you again. I was so scared, Castle." She whispered into his neck. His arms tightened around her and he pressed a kiss to her hair. "I didn't know if I could keep her safe. I, honestly, didn't know if they were going to let us go. I saw the C4 and…"She dissolved into tears at the thought of coming so close to losing her baby and her life all at once.

"Shhhh. It's okay. I've got you. You're safe now, Kate. The baby is fine. You got her through it. You kept her safe. They're gone."

For the first time that day, he was completely happy. Holding her in his arms he held everything. It had been one of the longest and worst days of his life and it was finally over. If he had lost her he didn't know what he would have done.

If he had walked into this bank and found a very different scene he didn't think that he would ever walk back out. She was everything to him and he would never be whole again if things had gone differently today. He sent up a prayer and a thank you to whoever had been listening to his silent pleas all day.

They stayed there like that on floor of the bank until everyone else had already gone out and the police were ready to take their evidence and search the room.

"Uh, sir." Castle turned awkwardly to see the CSU team standing awkwardly in the doorway.

"Right." Castle pushed Kate up, she huffed at the unwelcome movement, and stood up right behind her. "Let's go home, Kate."

He wasn't ready to let go of her yet, so he wrapped an arm around her and led her out of the bank, safe and sound.

**I would love to hear what you guys think! I am also always open to prompts, my ask is always open. (tumblr: khoughtonb) **


	6. Chapter 6

**Prompt:****Kate discovers that Esposito helped Castle dig up Johanna's file back in season 1 (I'll leave it up to you when she discovers this).**

She didn't mean to see it, she really didn't. It just so happen to be sitting under his legal pad in the bottom of his desk drawer in his office. She didn't mean to snoop, it just happened. And, hey, he did it to her all the time at the precinct, how was this any different. Yes, she was in his home and he was just in her place of work, but it was really the same thing. That's what she kept telling herself, at least.

It had only been a few weeks since she had allowed him back into the precinct. They were just now getting back to their "normal" selves. She had been hurt by his inability to let things go. He had gone out and done the very thing she told him not to do.

She had just been getting used to him pulling her pigtails. She was actually settling into her role in their odd pairing. She had to admit that he was oddly helpful and, if she was being honest with herself, he made her life a little more fun. But then he had to open his mouth and dig into her past to ruin the whole thing.

She still didn't fully trust him, but she was slowly learning how to be more comfortable around him. She had actually had a pleasant time at dinner. He had asked her to dinner after a pretty rough case, he called it celebrating, but that sat wrong for her. Still she went along with it, after a good amount of begging from Castle.

It was actually one of the best nights she had in a very long time. She was used to take out on the couch alone in her PJ's, but that was nothing compared to a home cooked meal at Casa de Castle.

He had left the precinct early in a move that she thought was to avoid paperwork, but was actually to begin cooking. She was surprised at his skill in the kitchen. They had pasta with chicken, vegetables, and alfredo sauce with the best garlic bread she had ever had. Not to mention the wine had been paired perfectly and probably cost half of her monthly salary.

She had thought that she would feel out of place in his loft and with his family, but within minutes of being there she had fallen right in. Alexis was easy to talk to and was all too happy to have a younger female in their midst to converse with. Martha had been as flamboyant and over-the-top as ever, but in a good way.

After the dishes had been cleared, without her help at all of the Castle's insistence, everyone had retired to their corners. Alexis and Martha had already chosen a musical to enjoy in the living room, they asked her to join in but she felt that would be an intrusion on their time together. She was just about to head home when Castle pulled her into his office.

He had asked her to stay a bit longer and found herself saying yes without even realizing it. He told her to pick a movie from his extensive collection in his office and that he was going to get the ice cream.

So she found herself alone in the Bat Cave. She didn't mean to find it, she really didn't. But he had left her alone and it had only taken so much time to pick a movie she liked. And now that she had she wished that she could un-see it and continue their nice evening together. However, she knew that it would be impossible. She could already feel the anger and the questions swirling in her mind.

There sitting on her lap was her mother's case file. Not just news articles and public statements, but the official police file. All of the evidence, interviews, and reports lay open on her lap. She felt so exposed. The betrayal and mistrust all came rushing back to her at that moment as she scanned over the words that she had long ago committed to memory.

He had added notes. He had written in the margins, circled key points, asked questions, and answered them to himself. He was investigating! He had been working her mother's case behind her back. She knew he had passed along some information, but this was him actually _working it._ Actively pursuing it, if the dates next to his writing were any indication, even after she told him to get out of her life and stay out. She should have never let him back in.

"We all scream for ice cream!" Castle sing-songed as he sauntered back into the room with two huge bowls piled high with strawberry ice cream. It was, of course, her favorite and she couldn't, at that moment, remember if she had ever told him that, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

"Oh," he added when he saw the look on her face and his eyes trailed down to the file on her lap. "I can explain…."

"How did you get this? At what point did you convince yourself that this was okay with me? Did you know that this is illegal? Not even uniforms are allowed to access these files without permission, much less make copies. I could arrest you right now."

"Kate…" His face had fallen and he set the bowls down on his desk moving toward her. She took a step back.

"No, Castle. No! Did you have a laugh with your poker buddies over this? Pass the pictures around and build some crazy elaborate theory about aliens and dinosaurs and all that crap. This is my mother," She turned the picture of her mother lying in the alley, holes and all. Her eyes were full of tears and it was tearing his heart to pieces to see her like this. "my mother, Castle. It's not a joke! Can't you for once in your life be serious about this and leave it alone!"

"I'm sorry." That was the only thing he could say. He knew it wasn't enough.

After he had seen the look on her face that night in the hospital he couldn't bear to tell her the whole story. He was vague. He had just told her that he had a PI and a forensic analyst dig up what they could. He didn't want to hurt her more than he already had. He wouldn't have even told her about it if Dr. Death hadn't found more information. But, the truth always comes out, that's what they say.

"I can't be here right now." He hung his head as she brushed past him and straight out the door, trying and failing to hold back the tears in her eyes.

He was an idiot. A complete idiot. How could he have done something so stupid? He had asked himself that question every day since she had kicked him out of her life.

She shouldn't have been going through his things? Well, he guessed, that made him the pot and her the kettle. He really shouldn't have kept the file, but he needed answers. Answers for her and for her father and for _himself. _He was so selfish, but he also wanted to make her happy. To brighten up her eternally dim eyes and show her how to have fun and how to look forward to tomorrow.

'I really blew it now!' He was pretty positive that she would kick him out for good this time.

He lay in bed that night unable to sleep. Unable to forgive himself for hurting her the way he had. She had a right to be angry, she had a right to kick him out again, though he prayed she wouldn't.

Around one o'clock he decided to reach out. He knew that she most likely wasn't awake and even if she was he was almost positive she wouldn't reply. Nevertheless, he had to try. He couldn't leave things like this. So he texted her.

'I'm sorry. I don't know what else I can say other than I'm sorry. I have no excuse other than I just want to help make you happy. I want you to have the closure that you deserve. I've been a jackass and I am so incredibly sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I went too far and I didn't respect your boundaries. I hope that you will someday find it in your heart to forgive me.'

He fell into a fitful sleep a short time later. When he woke up it was only 5AM, but he knew that he wouldn't ever be able to go back to sleep. Not with the images of a crying and upset Kate Beckett in his head.

He reached over and grabbed his phone. His jaw dropped when he saw a message from Beckett.

'You are a jackass.'

He laughed to himself. She wasn't forgiving him, and he didn't blame her, but she wasn't ignoring him. That was a good sign at least.

He wasn't really sure how to respond. There wasn't really anything he could say. He had already said he was sorry more times than he cared to admit and he didn't want to annoy her. Then it hit him. He sent up one last silent 'I'm sorry' before he dragged Espo into the doghouse with him.

'Esposito did it. He gave me access to the file.

P.S. Please don't kill him.'

There was no response after that. He hated to do that to a Bro, but what else was he supposed to do. Misery loves company and she couldn't put all of her anger on him if she had to be mad at Espo too.

The next day he was awakened at the crack of dawn by his cell phone. It rang and rang until he picked up, but when he answered the person on the other side quickly hung up. Before he could even see who it was who had called, a text came in. It was from Beckett and all it had was an address.

She wasn't kicking him out! It came as a complete shock. He couldn't believe his eyes. For a minute, he thought that he was dreaming.

He knew that she hadn't forgiven him. It would take a lot more than that. He also knew that it would take twice as long to earn her trust back, but luckily he knew where to start.

He took her mother's file and threw it into his fire place. Before it was completely burned to a crisp he took a picture of the burning file and sent it to her phone.

He arrived at the crime scene with two of the biggest coffees he could find. He quickly located her and handed her the cup. She didn't say thank you or even crack a smile, but she did take a greedy sip. He knew that they would eventually be okay.

He looked around for Esposito, but couldn't find him anywhere. Finally, he asked Ryan.

"Hey, Ryan, where's Espo?"

"Oh you haven't heard? Beckett gave him enough paperwork to last him a week. I'm not sure why, but Espo is mad as fire."

Esposito didn't speak to him for almost a month and it took Knick's season tickets and two weeks of the ferarri to actually break the silence.

**I know this probably wasn't what you were expecting, but I hope you like it! **

**Reviews are always welcome and I am always open to new prompts. (tumblr: khoughtonb)**


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